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Attachment Two

Employment First 201

Created by TANF Policy UnitLast Updated: 10/2016

Participation Verification& Required Paperwork

Table of ContentsObjectives.................................................................................................................4Forms........................................................................................................................5

Unsubsidized Employment – Emp..........................................................................5Subsidized Employment – SEP...............................................................................7Work Experience – WEP.........................................................................................8Community Service – CS......................................................................................10On-the-Job Training – OJT.....................................................................................12Time Sheets.........................................................................................................15

Education Verification Sheet.............................................................................15Daily Job Search Timesheet..............................................................................16Weekly Time Sheet...........................................................................................17

Tracking Sheets...................................................................................................18Tracking Excused Absences..............................................................................18Tracking Job Search Weeks & Hours.................................................................19Tracking Vocational Training Months................................................................20

Exemptions..........................................................................................................21Care Attendant Exemption................................................................................21Incapacity – Short Term....................................................................................22Incapacity – Long Term.....................................................................................23

Supportive Services Provider Request.................................................................30Additional Documentation for Education Components............................................31Supportive Services................................................................................................32

Child Care............................................................................................................32Calculating Monthly Participation Hours..................................................................33

Employment & OJT...............................................................................................33Ongoing Employment.......................................................................................33Ongoing Self-Employment................................................................................34New Employment..............................................................................................34First and Last Month of Employment................................................................34All Employment.................................................................................................35

Community Service..............................................................................................36Deeming Example:............................................................................................36Crediting Example:...........................................................................................36

Job Search/Job Readiness.....................................................................................37Hours Not Met with JS/JR...................................................................................37

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TANF Policy Unit | Nebraska department of health & human services –

Education Components........................................................................................38School Breaks for VT & PSED............................................................................38School Breaks for Core EDRE............................................................................38Final Exams.......................................................................................................38Core vs Non-Core..............................................................................................38

Mid-Month Referrals.............................................................................................39Rounding Procedures...........................................................................................39Other Tools...........................................................................................................39

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Employment First 201 |PARTICIPATION PAPERWORK – 10/2016

Objectives

Compare the forms used to determine monthly participation

Examine the forms utilized for Exemptions

Identify available Supportive Services

Analyze the different ways to calculate participation

Calculate monthly participation hours

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FormsUnsubsidized Employment – Emp

There are two EF forms to be utilized when determining participation hours for participants in the Unsubsidized Employment component. The first form is given to the participant to take to the employer to verify hours of employment when a telephone verification is unsuccessful. It can also be utilized when a CM is completing a telephone verification for the participant.

NO ADDITIONS CAN BE MADE TO THIS FORM. IT INCLUDES ONLY THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE TO BE VERIFIED BY THE CONTRACTOR.

The other form is known as a DEP, Documentation of Employment Participation. It is used to document the calculation of monthly employment participation hours.

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Subsidized Employment – SEP

This form is used to refer a participant to HireNebraska.

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Work Experience – WEP

The Work Experience Agreement is a two-page written agreement between DHHS & the work site.

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Note: In addition to this Agreement, the CM needs to obtain a Job Description for the participant’s position at the WEP work site.

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Community Service – CS

The Community Service Agreement is a two-page written agreement between DHHS & the work site. There are two different Community Service Agreements available. One is for a specific participant (similar to the WEP Agreement) and the other is for use in a congregate site (shown below).

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On-the-Job Training – OJT

The On-the-Job Training Agreement is a three-page written agreement between DHHS & the work site that includes the reimbursement rate.

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Note: The employer needs to be set up as a vendor for the State of Nebraska, not a N-FOCUS Provider. If not already set up, the employer will need to complete a W-9/ACH Enrollment form for direct deposit.

Time Sheets

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EDUCATION VERIFICATION SHEET All of the education components use the same time sheet to verify a participant’s time in class and supervised study time.

Each participant in a VT component must have the following on file before hours can be added to a Service Plan: Participant’s Class Schedule, USST Letter and the School Calendar. EDRE component participants…a valid class schedule, which includes participant’s name, name of school & dates/times of classes.

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DAILY JOB SEARCH TIMESHEET This time sheet is used to list a participant’s job contacts each day they are job searching as well as noting the total time spent in workshop each day.

Note:25% of all job contacts must be verified by the CM.

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WEEKLY TIME SHEET This time sheet is used for participants in a CS or WEP placement.

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Tracking Sheets

TRACKING EXCUSED ABSENCES As indicated on the Excused Absence Tracking Sheet below, participants are allowed a maximum of 16 hours per month and 80 hours of Excused Absences in a 12-month period. The 12-month period begins with the first month in which the participant uses any excused time.

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TRACKING JOB SEARCH WEEKS & HOURS This tracking sheet is used to indicate the number of hours a participant has used in JS/JR. A participant may not participate in JS/JR activities for more than four consecutive weeks. S/he also may not participate more than a total of 240 (20 hrs/wk)/360 (30 & 35 hrs/wk) hours in a 12-month period. The 12-month period begins with the first month in which the participant uses hours of JS/JR.

Note: Job Search Weeks/Hours should include Excused Absence hours, but not Holiday hours. When ‘Other’ is used instead of JS/JR, Excused Absences should not be included on this tracking sheet.

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TRACKING VOCATIONAL TRAINING MONTHS This tracking form is used to track the lifetime maximum of vocational training months that a participant can use. Up to 36 months of VT are counted on this form as well as up to 12 months of PSED.

Note: Months where JST is used instead of VT should not be included on this sheet.If participant is going towards a Bachelor’s degree, don’t forget to determine when s/he will switch from AC-Mandatory to AC-PSED.

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Exemptions

CARE ATTENDANT EXEMPTION This letter should be given to a participant who is requesting an EF Care Attendant Exemption to be taken to his/her family member’s doctor for completion.

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INCAPACITY – SHORT TERM This letter can be given to a participant, who is requesting a Short Term Incapacity Exemption (three (3) months or less), to take to his/her doctor OR it can be sent directly to the doctor for completion.

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INCAPACITY – LONG TERM When a participant is requesting a Long Term Exemption (more than three (3) months), the following process should take place:

1. Explain the Incapacity Review Team (IRT) Procedure to the participant and give them a copy of the IRT Client Information Sheet

Located in the TANF Policy Log: Exemption Reviews.

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2. Compile a list of all the doctors the participant is currently seeking treatment from for his/her incapacity. Complete an Exemption Cover Letter for each doctor.

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3. Complete the top portion & #1 of the 2-page Confidential Medical Report (CMR) for each doctor.

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4. Send the completed Cover Letter(s) & CMR(s) to the participant’s current doctor(s).

5. Complete page 1 of the Social Study for Incapacity Determination (SSID) with the participant to explore his/her thoughts on the incapacity that is preventing him/her from joining the workforce and gather some history from the participant.

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6. Complete page 2 of the SSID, on your own, indicating your observation(s) of the participant.

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7. Within two (2) days of receiving all requested medical information, complete the IRT referral by completing the following steps:

a. Scan all completed CMRs, SSID & other supporting documents into N-FOCUS.

b. Send all completed CMRs, SSID & other supporting documents via email to [email protected].

c. Narrate CMRs/SSID have been scanned & sent to IRT.

8. After receiving a response from IRT, finalize the referral response:a. IRT approves Long Term Exemption:

i. Send a generic notice (including appropriate manual references & required approval language) to the participant informing him/her of the decision.

ii. Set appropriate alert1. EF alert to begin review prior to date IRT indicates as end

date (suggested 30 days prior to medical review date) OR2. ADC alert to SSW when the participant will return to AC-

Mandatory statusiii. Schedule Service Plan update appointment, if necessary.iv. Refer client to Vocational Rehabilitation and Social Security.v. Scan e-mail response from IRT.vi. Narrate IRT decision & actions taken by EF CM.

b. IRT denies Long Term Exemptioni. Send a generic notice (including appropriate manual references

& required denial language) to the participant informing him/her of the decision.

ii. Set ADC alert to SSW indicating the participant will return to AC-Mandatory status the first possible month.

iii. Schedule Service Plan update appointment, if necessary.iv. Scan e-mail response from IRT.v. Narrate IRT decision & actions taken by EF CM.

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mailto:[email protected]

Supportive Services Provider Request

If a EF CM would like a new Supportive Services Provider added to N-FOCUS, the CM needs to complete a Provider Referral Form & send to the e-mail listed on the form for Resource Development (RD) staff to complete the process.

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Additional Documentation for Education ComponentsThere are additional pieces of documentation needed for participants completing hours in an Education Component:

Class Scheduleo Name of Participanto Name of Schoolo Start/End Date of Class(es)o Start/End Time of Class(es)

Study Time Letter from School(s), indicating necessityo One hour of unsupervised study time is allowed for each hour of

scheduled class time Academic Schedule (to verify breaks, planned closures) Grades (after first semester/term)

If the participant is attending high school, verification of attendance from the school is all that is necessary.

If the participant is attending EDRE classes, Class Schedule is all that is necessary.

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Supportive Services(468 NAC 2-020.08)

A participant must be provided with allowable and appropriate supportive services to the extent determined necessary by the CM to enable the individual to participate in an EF component as agreed upon in the Self-Sufficiency Contract if no other source is available at no cost to the participant or to the agency. The CM must prior approve the use of these funds.

Participants who qualify for an exemption are eligible for supportive services if they are required to cooperate in obtaining treatment, counseling, rehabilitative or vocational services identified in a Service Plan.

A client or participant may refuse supportive services. However, the refusal of supportive services must not then be used as a reason for not cooperating with EF requirements or participating in EF component activities.

All other methods of providing supportive services should be explored and utilized before program dollars are expended. When a participant is accepted into another program (such as Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Vocational Rehabilitation, etc.), the supportive services may be provided by both programs through a shared arrangement.

The most frequently used EF Supportive Services approved by a CM are: Clothing Education/Training Expenses Employment Expenses Occupational Exam and Licensing Fees Transportation Expenses

Child Care

DHHS Eligibility Staff may authorize child care services for children age 12 and younger under the Child Care Subsidy program if needed to allow the participant to participate in approved EF activities. Examples of EF activities are:

Seeking employment Working Attending school

Participating in an EF component Going to Orientation and

Assessment

For a listing of all Licensed Child Care and Preschool Programs in the State of Nebraska, organized by zip code, go to: http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/pages/crl_rosters.aspx.

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http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/pages/crl_rosters.aspx

Calculating Monthly Participation HoursAll Components except JS/JR

All verified hours need to be counted towards participation.

JS/JRFor Job Search/Job Readiness hours the contractor can use only those time sheets needed to meet participation requirements. However, if a portion of the hours from a time sheet are used, all of the hours included on that verification must be used, even if the hours would exceed the minimum required.

Holiday hours must be granted to participants, even if not necessary to meet rate. When determining Holiday hours to count, all time sheets must be scanned.

In cases where the participant is nearing their maximum number of Job Search hours for a 12 month period, the contractor must send a TANF Policy Question for clarification.

Employment & OJT

ONGOING EMPLOYMENT For ongoing employment (employed at the same place for every day of the month), hours of participation from employment will be based on income verifications available in scanned documents at the time participation hours are calculated. All consecutive pay verifications up to 30 days must be used in the calculation:

If the preferred number of consecutive pay verifications are not available, the contractor will use the most recent consecutive pay verification(s) scanned. In the event of one missing pay verification, contractors may calculate hours worked in that pay period if year-to-date (YTD) hours are listed on the prior and subsequent pay verifications.

Before requesting employment information from an employer, the contractor will check N-FOCUS to determine if the verification is available or requested by DHHS. If verification is not available when entering hours of participation, the contractor can request verification.

Each month, while calculating participation hours, the CM will review all EA narratives and EA scanning to determine if there is more recent verification(s) of employment. If so, and the verification indicates hours of employment have decreased, the CM will be required to use the most recent verification for determining participation hours.

Monthly1 consecutive pay period

Twice a Month2 consecutive pay periods

Bi-weekly3 consecutive pay periods

Weekly5 consecutive pay periods

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If the 1st pay stub is clearly identified it must be disregarded from the calculation. An exception from policy is required to disregard all other paystubs available when calculating participation hours.

ONGOING SELF-EMPLOYMENT Calculation of participation hours from Self-Employment can be based off the most current ADC budget. Contractor staff should not request monthly self-employment ledgers to use as verification of participation. For new Self-Employment or changes in Self-Employment, the contractor must send a question to DHHS Economic Assistance Policy Questions.

Avg Net Income (per ADC budget) = Monthly Hours of ParticipationMinimum Wage

A Self-Employment calculation should be placed in narrative at every Service Plan creation appointment & whenever new ledgers are scanned into N-FOCUS.

NEW EMPLOYMENT If the hours are being calculated for the month in which the job began, the 1st paystub will be used unless pay periods are unknown. The next month and any following months, if the 1st paystub is clearly identified it must be disregarded from the calculation.

FIRST AND LAST MONTH OF EMPLOYMENT Unless we have verification of the actual days they work, we assume the participant works a five (5) day work week. Holidays are excluded from the calculation unless the participant works for a business that could be open on that Holiday.

Note: EF will need to have a discussion with the participant to determine whether s/he worked on the Holiday. If the business is closed or s/he did not work on that day, s/he will not be credited hours. This discussion must be documented in the participation narrative.

For regular employment:

Avg hrs/wk= Total

hrs/day ×# of days worked in

month=

Total hrs for

month5 working days

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ALL EMPLOYMENT If the Employment Verification form (EF) or Earned Income Verification Request form (DHHS) is available and no paychecks are included, the contractor will calculate hours of participation based on average hours per week.

If the Earned Income Verification Request form (DHHS) is available with paychecks listed OR pay stubs are available, the contractor will calculate hours of participation based on average hours per pay check.

If Holiday hours, PTO, Vacation Leave and/or Sick Leave are listed on the pay stub, these hours will be counted in the calculation. If overtime hours can clearly be identified as not being included in the regular hours, they will be counted in the calculation without clarification. On call hours and mileage hours will not count. For all other types, the contractor should request clarification from the TANF Policy Unit.

Documentation of all calculations will be made on the DEP (Documentation of Employment Participation from Scanned Documents) form and will be scanned into N-FOCUS Work Requirements.

Note: If a participant reported an increase or decrease in employment hours, the CM will direct him/her to report an online Change Report or contact ACCESSNebraska to report the changes. If an increase is reported but DHHS has not verified yet, the previously verified hours can be used to calculate participation. If a decrease is reported but DHHS has not verified yet, zero (0) hours must be used.

WeeklyWeekly hours x 4.3

Bi-weeklyWeekly hours x 2 x 2.15

Twice a MonthWeekly hours x 4.3

Weekly(Total hours ÷ # of paychecks) x 4.3

Bi-weekly(Total hours ÷ # of paychecks) x 2.15

Twice a Month(Total hours ÷ # of paychecks) x 2

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Community Service

DEEMING EXAMPLE: Sally is an EF participant who is receiving an ADC payment of $367 and $0 SNAP benefits. She is required to participate 20 hours per week. Her CS calculation is:

$367 ADC + $0 SNAP = $367 ÷ $9 = 40.77 or 40 max CS hrs/mo40 ÷ 4.3 = 9.3 hrs/wk

If Sally participates in CS for a total of 40.3 hours in a month, her participation will be deemed to 20 hours per week.

CREDITING EXAMPLE: James is an EF participant who is receiving an ADC payment of $436 and $360 in SNAP benefits. He is required to participate 20 hours per week. His CS calculation is:

$436 ADC + $360 SNAP = $796 ÷ $9 = 88.44 or 88 max CS hrs/mo88 ÷ 4.3 = 20.47 hrs/wk

If James participates in CS for his maximum number of hours allowable (90), he may not meet rate some months (In 2016: March & August). Since he participated for the maximum number of hours available, his participation would be credited to the required number of hours for the month.

Community Service: If Sally or James’ youngest child was age 6 or older (30), s/he would need additional hours per month in a different component in order to meet participation.

Deem

ing The participant's CS

calculation (rounded down) is less than 20 hours per week.If participant completes all hours (per calculation), CM can deem the hours up to 20 hours per week.

Cred

iting

The participant's CS calculation (rounded down) is more than 20 hours per week but less than the required number of hours for a single parent with child(ren) under 6 for the month.If participant completes all hours (per calculation), CM can credit the hours up to make rate for the month.

Actu

al The participant's CS calculation (rounded down) is more than the required number of hours for the month.Actual hours will be counted for the participant.NOTE: A CS participant cannot complete more hours than the calculation indicates.

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Job Search/Job Readiness

A maximum of two (2) hours are allowed per employer contact. Actual time at the job contact site & travel time should be included in the amount noted on the Daily Job Search Timesheet. Time spent driving from home at the beginning of the day and returning home at the end of the day must not be counted.

Job contacts can be completed in person, online or via telephone. Each job contact must have enough information to be able to contact the potential employer to verify the application was made. Online and telephone contacts must be completed at a supervised site. All online applications need to either have an ‘Application #’ or a ‘Monitor Initial’. If the application must be completed onsite, the verification must include the application number.

‘Workshop Time’ should include only the time the participant attended JS/JR Workshop. All job contacts should be documented as separate job contacts on the time sheet. After the time sheets are turned in, the CM is required to verify 25% of the job contacts. The margin of the time sheet should be used to indicate the verified (successfully & unsuccessfully verified) job contacts.

If there is no indication that the CM verified 25% of the participant’s job contacts, zero hours of participation from job contacts will be allowed. Hours gained in JS/JR Workshop will still be allowed.

HOURS NOT MET WITH JS/JR If a participant has JS/JR activities and s/he will not meet participation for the month, his/her JS/JR hours should be entered in N-FOCUS under ‘Other Approved Activities’. In this situation, the participant’s hours will not count towards their maximum hours in a 12-month period and the week(s)/hour(s) should not be entered on the Job Search Weeks/Hours Tracking Sheet.

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Education Components

SCHOOL BREAKS FOR VT & PSED If a school break occurs during the school term, participants can be granted class time as Holiday time plus unsupervised study time for the actual holiday if s/he would normally be scheduled to participate on the recognized Holiday. For days in a school break, that are not a recognized Holiday, the participant will be granted scheduled class time plus supervised study time.

If the break occurs between school terms, because class schedules will be changing, class time from the previous term will no longer be allowable. The participant will be required to engage in other countable work activities for the minimum required hours during the period of the school break. A new Service Plan must be developed to account for the new participation requirements.

SCHOOL BREAKS FOR CORE EDRE If the break occurs during the school term participants can be granted Holiday hours, for the given day, up to the number of hours they were scheduled for class in addition to unsupervised study time. For days in a school break that are not a recognized Holiday, the participant will be granted unsupervised study time plus any verified supervised study time.

Excused time can only be granted if the participant had good cause for not attending class on days that are not included in the school break.

FINAL EXAMS During the week(s) of final exams, the participant can be credited the scheduled class time plus corresponding unsupervised study time for hours of participation. Actual time spent on exams will not be counted. A time sheet must be completed by the participant or the CM for Finals Week.

CORE VS NON-CORE If a participant has VT activities and s/he will not meet participation for the month, his/her VT hours should be entered as Non-Core (JST) in N-FOCUS. In this situation, the participant’s hours will not count towards their lifetime months of VT and the months should not be entered on the Vocational Training Months Tracking Sheet.

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Mid-Month Referrals

For participants not required to participate for the entire month, his/her/their hours would be prorated from the date of application (as noted on WP-FS-1).

Example: Application received 01/15/16, referral date 01/21/16. For a single parent with a child under 6: 11 work days x 4 hours/day = 44 hours needed to make rate for January 2016.

Rounding Procedures

When calculating hours of EF participation, the CM will total actual hours of participation on daily or weekly verification documents. At the end of each month the hours from all applicable verifications, by component, will be totaled to the hundredth (two decimal places or 0.00). If the total monthly hours should include a partial hour, normal rounding procedures will apply. For less than ½ hour, round down to the nearest hour. For ½ hour or more, round up to the nearest hour.

Other Required Tools

TANF Work Verification Plan – Attached

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